Battle of the Barracks

The Battle of the Barracks (14 September-23 November 1991) was a series of engagements that occurred in mid-to-late 1991 between the Croatian police and army and the Yugoslav People's Army during the Croatian War of Independence. Croatian forces blockaded YPA barracks across Croatia, and its goal was to neutralize YPA positions in Croat-held territory and to secure arms and ammunition supplies for the poorly-equipped National Guard. The Croats captured small, isolated YPA posts, and a number of large weapons depots and barracks, including the entire YPA 32nd Corps in Varazdin. The Croats captured 250 tanks, 500 artillery pieces, and 180,000 small arms, and they did so either through peaceful takeover or through fighting. Civilians were negatively affected by the battle, as many of the outposts were located in urban areas, and many civilian casualties occurred. In November 1991, the YPA agreed to pull out of Croatia, and the withdrawal was complete by January 1992, except in Dubrovnik and on the islands of Vis and Lastovo, from where they withdrew in July 1992. As the YPA withdrew, they were replaced by United Nations peacekeepers.